Happy Sad Confused - Adam Scott

Episode Date: February 23, 2015

The talented, charming, dashing Adam Scott of U Talkin’ U2 To Me? joins Josh to talk about his new film Hot Tub Time Machine 2, his thoughts on Parks and Recreation coming to an end, not knowing what where he was going with his career before being a part of Party Down, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Get tickets now. Hey guys, welcome to another edition of Happy Sacked Confused. I'm Josh Horowitz, and you're listening to my podcast because you're awesome. Welcome to this week's show, which is the talented, the charming, the dashing, Mr. Adam, Scott. Fellow podcaster, I might add, if you're not checking out his podcast with Scott Ackerman, all about you two, on the Wolf Pop Network, well, I don't know what your glitches, dude. Check it out. But also of note and talked about in this podcast, among other things, is Hot Tub Time Machine 2, which is now out in theaters, which you should check out if you like funny things with smart people like Adam and

Rob Cordy and Craig Robinson and Clark Duke. That is worth your time. As is this podcast, which was a blast. Adam is a fan of the podcast. He's been very kind in the past about wanting to appear. And I was thrilled that he made some time when he stopped by New York to chat. Lots of fun in this one going down through his career. Some interesting films, to say the least, early on, the likes of which you probably weren't aware of. Did you know Adam Scott was in a Hellraiser movie? He was in a Star Trek movie. plus lots of that party down and parks and rec and the aforementioned hot tub time machine. Adam's just a smart, fun, cool dude.

So he was on the list for a while and like I said, thrilled that it happened, that we made it work on his hectic schedule. So that's about all I have to say, because this is a long one. He was able to stop by for a while. So I'm going to throw right over to this conversation. As always, guys, hit me up on Twitter, Joshua Horowitz, and go over to Wolfpop.com and check out all the amazing podcast over there. But now, folks, it is time. Settle back. Keep running on that treadmill. Do whatever it is you do. Enjoy Mr. Adam Scott. Oh, look, Adam Scott just dropped into my room. Oh, hi. Are we recording? I didn't even see you there. Yeah. I dropped from the ceiling.

You didn't see. You repelled down. But in such a like, like a mission impossible kind of. Yeah. Gravity doesn't apply to me, Josh. Well, now that you're a big movie star. Exactly. Exactly. Gravity doesn't apply to any person working in film or television. I want to note, I cut off, like, the natural pleasantries of, like, a natural human conversation to just say, fuck it. We're doing this, Adam.

Yeah. I don't want to talk to as a human being. I saw that. We went straight from something you. Like a legitimate, like, human interaction. For both of us, we do not want included on the podcast, straight into the podcast. Right. Seamless. You enjoying your Perrier?

I said that before you even had a sip. Say a preferred sparkling beverage. Now ask me. Did you enjoy your Perrier? I loved. I mean, that was a particularly great sip of Perrier. How bubbly do you like your sparkling beverages? Because my wife doesn't like it super bubbly. Okay, so she probably likes Pellegrino then.

I feel like Pellegrino has got a sharp, like, really? You think Pellegrine's on the lower end? Yeah. Perrier definitely has sharper. bubbles. Pellegrino to me feels like a Perrier that's been left out for a while. Right. Wouldn't that be amazing if we found out that was actually the case? If at the factory,

it's just a bunch of open bottles of Berrier, aging. The sad of 60 Minutes investigation ever. I think that's Bob Simon's Morley Safer can go figure this one out. I was Morley Safer still around then. Oh my God. The Bob Simon thing is so sad.

You know, my mom, she's literally at service right now. She dated Bob Simon when they both grew up in great neck and said literally in front of my dad the other day, he was the love of my life when I was when I was a teenager, of course. Oh my God. She qualified it. Your mom dated Bob Simon. Isn't that crazy? That is so, he was very handsome man. He was a handsome man. And a very, I always love, he was my wife's favorite. He's very dignified. The ladies love the Bob Simon apparently. Yeah. It's so sad. Yeah. What a bummer. And then David Carr, like, a day later.

I saw you and I both, yeah, everybody, I feel like everybody that, like, I respected, everybody that, like, I respected on Twitter was, like, cut to the core because he just, he was special, man. I loved in that documentary, watching him take down those vice guys. I watched it again after he. God damn. It's so great. That particular scene. Yeah. It's great.

It's so great. I mean, I like vice guy, I mean, I like vice in its own way, but, like, they're so fucking cocky. They walk in there. They're, got their. They're like, we're, listen, we're changing everything. We know how to talk to young people. Yeah. You guys don't quite know, but Karn knew how to talk to everybody.

I like their shows. I like Vice, the, the HBO show very much. Me too. But that was particularly satisfying. Yeah. Just because he was so old school. And I wish we had like, I know we have a lot of those guys.

I just hate that they're very rare. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's good to see you as always. We saw each other in Sundance. You heckled me from the street. That was pleasant. I did. I yelled at you out of a window.

I felt so cool. Wow, some super A-list stars rolling down his window and he scream at me. Well, first of all, maybe C-list and you look deeply embarrassed. Well, that's my general default look. I understand that. I just peed in the snow. I was hoping no one would notice, and you called me out on it. In public.

During the day, just right there. Can I just say that's one of my favorite Scorsese movies? I feel like it's underrated, color of money. It's deeply underrated. I feel like not only the movie is very underrated, but people always say Paul Newman was given that Oscar as like a, you know, a career achievement award. That performance is insane. Insane. That's a great.

And Cruz is so good in that. Mary Elizabeth Master Antonio in that movie is amazing. That is a great movie. Richard Price wrote it. Yep. What a great movie. I love the ending of that movie. Do you remember the ending?

It's like him and Cruz. Oh, I hated the ending. No, no, no, no. I totally agree. The ending is great. He just says, I'm back and then he... Yeah. Ah.

He goes swimming to get his... Right. gets his glasses. I think I'd seen the Hustler by then. It's, but it's its own animal. I saw this first, just as a child of the 80s. I guess I must. Yeah, because that was probably tense.

So I doubt I would see the Hustler actually now, but I say it. The Hustler is a great movie, but for me, this one is, I personally like this. Did you just bring that up because you know Martin Scorsese and you worked with Warren Scorsese and just wanted to, like, you're slyly going to move into that? Yeah, I was hoping you would segue into that. No, but I've heard people on your podcast talk about. the color of money poster and no one i know i feel like they they just kind of like yeah yeah no one gives the movie you give it props but no one i i feel like that's a major movie and then

this means war you're a big fan of which is also this means war one of the who signed this who signed the back to the future is that's the macas and michael j fox oh you got them both to sign that that's great um speaking of time travel look at this oh i just did i keep giving you these softballs to segue. This is why you're a great interviewee. Yeah. Congratulations on Hot Tom Time Machine 2.

Thank you very much. I enjoyed it very much. Oh, you saw it. I now know to look people in the eye when I tell them that I actually enjoyed their film because recently, I'm not going to name the film in Sundance, an actor, a couple actors

asked me before the interview what I thought of the movie. I did not look them in the eye. I did not enjoy their movie. And I said it was crazy. And did they call you? They totally called me out. And it was really upset because it was their first interview. Oh, no.

I'll tell you afterwards. Their first interview of all their press? Literally. It was the first interview that morning. Was the movie not received well in general? No, it wasn't. So I wasn't on an outlier. And honestly, it colored the interview.

I might be able to call what movie it was if you, after the... Okay, we'll play that game afterwards. That's such a bummer. I know the feeling of... Who's it more uncomfortable for doing press when you know the movie should... I guess it's more uncomfortable for you. you have to just go through it and yeah yeah it's uncomfortable it's a bummer because you you have to support it because you you even though it's not great you still want it to do fine yeah because

you worked on it and you're obligated to try to get the word out or whatever and but you know it's not great you know that no one that sees it will like it at least with hot tub i know for a fact this is going to hit the bullseye for a certain um yeah sect like everyone that loved the first one will think this is funny um i wouldn't think you know bob simon would love hot tub time machine too i heard this was the last film we saw before it passed oh boy um no you're totally right it totally works within the parameters that it's supposed to work absolutely and there there's a lot of really funny stuff it um but uh but i've certainly been on that end where there's a movie that does not work on

any level right truly uh and but you have to to interview you know it's a bummer the um this one you were not in the first hot tub time machine right correct right i do my research yes right that is correct it's all i know about that's all i know about your career very good so if you could just lead me the rest of the way great no but obviously you're not like playing the John Cusack role by any means

I'm playing his son 10 years in the future so I'm I was born you know it's like 10 years in the future so I'm the same age as the guys and they come to the future and I'm there I'll say this because you're not allowed to but I'm guessing it was probably a lot more pleasant set

this time around trading John in for you oh I don't I don't I'm not going to touch that one. I know, of course, of course not. No, I'm not. He's just, I don't think he's like a, I don't know. I don't know much about him except that I feel like. Have you interviewed him?

Once or twice, not a lot. Oh, you have? Yeah. Oh, okay. Was it, how did it go? Here's a fun story. Actually, I interviewed him for 2012, the Roland Emrick movie. Oh, yeah, sure.

And it was at the time that it was the, I believe it was the 25th anniversary of say anything. Okay. And Josh, with his funny bits, his stupid silly bits, you know me. I walked into, it was a chunk. Did you hold a boombox up? So here's the thing, though. But they had, at the time, whatever company was putting out on DVD for a 25th anniversary thing, had people literally out here in Times Square with cardboard boombox things promoting it.

So we got one of those. And I'm doing the interview with him and Amanda Pete were paired. And towards the end of it, I just, I referenced it. And then I brought it out like on top of my head. It wasn't like I started singing or anything. I was just like, what is this? I literally said, like, how does this make you feel when you see someone do this? and he is so upset and so wants and literally basically says,

please don't do that, please don't do that, please don't do that, please don't do that, sure, sure. Not probably the last thing he wanted to see. But it's a strange thing, and again, I'm going to do monologue here because you have a career and you're probably going to work with him at some point. But it's a strange thing that, like, it's such a great movie. It's Cameron Crow. Like, why are you not embracing that?

I don't know, whatever. I guess. Don't take his side against me. I see what you do. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm just thinking, just not ever, not knowing him at all, but just gleaning from his work, what I would think his personality would be like. I guess I would think that that's not something he would love. But, you know, he's, his work is like unparalleled. Oh, yeah, no, totally.

That dude has some classic movies and just classic performances. Just amazing stuff. So when you're in a junket and some stupid schmo like me, like some clown comes in with a prop or a clown wig or something, how do you feel? You know what? We just did the junket in L.A. And when people come in with stuff that they've planned or props that they've brought in,

for me it was a breath of fresh air and it was it just kind of cuts the tedium yeah and the interview is so much better yeah because it livens everyone up you get your kind of brain going again right because after two days of answering the same four five questions or whatever right you start to sort of become a zombie so there were only a handful of people who did bring in like a game or whatever and it was so it was great and me rob and clark and craig would applaud them every time they did bring something in just to bring you some sanity yeah the monotony yeah well and also as you mentioned you're doing it with like some crazy awesome improv guys by your side that can like that's true literally every year i think at comic con where we do an insane amount of interviews my favorite

interview not necessarily the one that's most watched it should be children's hospital yeah that group which i know you've been on is they're great insane yeah everybody I think Aaron Hayes who's on that show is someone that is just great just so solid. Yeah, I know. She's a giant star waiting to happen, I think.

So this one, I was watching your wonderful appearance in a hot tub this morning on the Today Show. Oh, yeah. It was really good. You watched that? Well, I watched it for you. Oh, wow. Yeah, nice. Congrats. Why does that?

That does not apply. For operating my television and watching my work. You mentioned you signed on to this without seeing a script. That's true. That's balzy. That takes khanes. Yeah. It's not a smart thing to do.

But I just figured it would be fun. And I was right. But I will say that Steve Pink, the director, pitched me the movie over the phone. I agreed to do it. It sounded fun. And then like a month later, I got the script that they had written between him pitching me it and me getting the script.

And the script was wildly different from what he had pitched me on the phone. I like it in that, like, I feel like it's the closest I'm going to get for at least a little while to a Bill and Ted sequel, which I'm desperately trying to will into existence. Because it is in that sort of like absurdist, like, just embrace the insanity. Yes. Of time. Like, doing away with any attempt to. Don't try to justify it. Looper style.

Explain nothing. Yeah. Looper is in a whole other universe than a hot tub time machine movie. If Joseph Gordon-Levitt or Bruce Willis had just walked by at a certain point. That would have been fantastic. Looper is referenced in the movie, isn't it? Oh, you're right. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Don't they say something about it? Yes, they do. They do. I saw it a long time ago. I think it's slightly different now. Yeah, a lot more erotic. Very erotic. So what are you up to right now?

Are you, Parks and Rec is done. Parks and Rec is done. we finished two months ago it was sad it was happy in a way because we all felt great about the last season

and I think the finale is so lovely and funny but I think it's a really great finale finallies are really tough to do but I think Mike and the writers really really nailed it.

And I can't wait for people to see it. It's going to come relatively soon, I feel like, because they're doing two at a time now. Yeah, tonight there are two episodes, and then next week is the finale. Oh, wow. So that's next Tuesday. This is the week of the finale, guys.

This goes up Monday. Monday, okay. Okay, so yeah. And it's really great. I think it's really funny and moving. Are you going to watch it? Is there some kind of cast? Yeah, we're all going to get together.

here and do Seth Myers as a group and then watch the finale together. Yeah. And then just have an orgy. Well, that's how you always would wrap every at the scene. You know, it's been what, seven seasons and we haven't had an orgy yet?

Right. What's going on? Right. That's how Cheers wrapped up after that. You remember that drunken final night of Cheers? That famous... They were hammered. It was on like Leno or Letterman? No, it was... Leno was interviewing them, but they were on the Cheers set. right and um i guess it was open bar because they were fucked up but do you think we'll be the most generous lover in the in the group the most generous lover

yeah in parks and rack yeah offerman yeah offerman is always bragging about how much he and his wife have sex and stuff he and megan so i feel like he's going to have to live up to that yeah he's probably dreading this night now just go crazy on everybody i literally speaking of sundance he was there for that movie that got a lot of great reception Oh, me and Earl. Yeah. And he and Connie Britton came up to me and I did not recognize him until about two feet away from him. Weird, right?

Because he has like the inverse of his facial hair right now. Yeah. It's bizarre. It's super weird. I saw him there too and thought that he looked super different. I couldn't place what was going on. But yeah, it was that he has a beard with no mustache. So between I mean, it's safe to say, I mean, I don't want to assess or put words in your mouth,

but like looking at your career, like probably the two most notable things on your resume in some ways are the two TV shows. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Is that something where, I mean,

I don't know, surprise you? Is it something that you learn from going forward? Are you sort of like, you know, obviously of this film coming out, I'm sure, and you've produced some films

and the overnight was very well received at Sundance. Where's your head at? Because you've, it seems to me you're kind of like, of the modern age in that you are sort of platform agnostic. You don't really give a shit what size the screen is as long as the content's good. Yeah, I think so. I think especially, sorry, I'm going to take my jacket off.

Please do. That's a tradition. Short sleeve. Short sleeves under this. You understand it's like six degrees outside. I don't. Do you have a second coat? I don't acknowledge, it's right there, Josh.

You fucking calm down. Using the, my name was not necessary. Josh? It's right there. All right, dad. Yeah, I, I, I, the Ghostbusters, two pictures, freaky me. Starras, there, Davico's on us. That's another one.

If you've heard the podcast, I know you've heard a couple at least. That one comes up a lot and I feel like it's like, it's more about me than them. A lot of people don't have anything to say about a ghost. A lot of people don't recognize what it's from. There's that. I just wanted to put something up that. would make me smile or laugh every time I would like Ghostbusters too I'd okay so here's my thing on Ghostbusters 2 I think it's actually really funny I think it's two

thirds of like a very funny movie yeah obviously it goes without saying yeah it's a whole another level on Ghostbusters but yeah take out Ghostbusters for a moment Ghostbusters 2 is a solid funny movie that that makes me laugh a lot I like I like that they thought it was a really good idea that they catch up with them and they're doing kids parties yeah I think that was a great idea yeah But then it fell into like a bunch of sequel traps that were kind of a bummer. The river slime, the happy goat, the happy kind of thing by the end. Bigger isn't always just, you know, taking those jokes and just exploding them.

It missed William Atherton, I feel. He wasn't in the sequel, right? No. He was so good. He was great. I was obsessed with him for a while. Me too. Yeah.

And Sugar Land Express. Oh, wow, nice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So good. Yeah, yeah. That's great. Yeah. I'm not getting that right?

Yeah, I was, no, that was, that was, what was that guy's name? I feel like we have a similar sort of period of movies we have

encyclopedic knowledge of. I'm a little younger than you, so that means I'm a little more advanced. I was a little, it was a little, like, smarter, it means you're somehow stupider.

I feel like, no, it's not William Atherton. It's not Jeffrey Jones, also in that kind of vein. No, the bearded guy, is that who you're thinking of? Yeah, yeah. That was,

Wait, wait, no, it's not, my internet's not working in here. I don't know. You're not thinking of the bearded guy in, in, Diehart? I can't think of the name in Diehart. The Cokehead? Yeah. Oh, no, no, I'm not thinking of that guy. I know who that guy is, too.

But wait, wait. He has a, interesting. The, um, the asshole, not in the building, but he's also in the side. That's William Atherton. I think you're right. Yeah, yeah. I think you're right. Okay, we've settled it.

We think you're right. So you're, you know, TV, internet, film, IMAX doesn't matter. I, yeah, I don't care. I think, you know, when party down started, it was like I just needed, I didn't know what I was going to do. I was sort of in kind of a panic career-wise and didn't know what was going to become of me. And so where was that in the sequence? Like had Step brothers had just come out.

You done the aviator, you'd done stepbrothers. Yeah. But you hadn't done like, I know vicious kind was like, on the dramatic side was a big moment for you probably. Vicious kind I had done. Oh, you had done. I had done. It had not come out or anything.

Yeah, vicious kind I had done. And then I did. And then I had done stepbrothers and a few months later shot vicious kind. And then, like, six months later, Stepbrothers came out. Yeah. But... This seems like a good time.

Well, you know, what's interesting is that Stepbrothers is so kind of regaled. But at the time when it came out, it did well. It made like $100 million. But I think that for whatever reason at the time, it wasn't... I wasn't getting any... any um all the kind of stuff that happened i feel because of stepbrothers was more um delayed for when people started watching it over and over again and and kind of took ownership of it when it came out it was people thought it was funny and stuff but it was

for whatever reason it wasn't like people were knocking down the door trying to get me to be and stuff and so i was kind of like so i went in audition for parking and rec for the pilot and didn't get it and was really bummed, didn't know what I was going to do, had some other big pilot thing. The always sunny guys had this really great science fiction pilot. And I auditioned for that and almost got it, but didn't. So I was sort of like, I didn't know what I was going to do. And then Rob Thomas called me and said, remember that thing we made in my backyard two years ago well stars wants to make 10 of them and so I was like sure I mean I literally had nothing else right to do and wasn't sure it was pre madmen really

exploding it was pre like it was like what stars right and these kind of what seemed to be fringier kind of yeah what's that we're all experimenting in drama and comedy and it wasn't Yet to the place where content was king, it was networks really mattered still. So I didn't know if anyone would see it. And so we made the first 10 just not knowing if anyone would ever see. I mean, I think we all thought it would be like, best case scenario, it would be like psych or something. Like a show that's there. Yeah.

But people don't go crazy. I mean, I know psych. No, I get it. But, like, those USA shows, it's like, wait, that's in its seventh season? What is Pacific Blue? Like, what? Exactly. No disrespect to psych because those two guys are great.

But I just thought, what if we might do this and, and I just thought it might be, I just didn't know. And so we did it, but around like the third episode episode, it started feeling really special. And we all were like, are we doing something cool here? It feels like we are, and the writing was really good. So, anyway. And so did that, because, I mean, it was never, obviously, like a ratings, like powerhouse by any means. No, our series finale had 14,000 viewers.

Is that truly? Yes, that is true. That's so good. Yeah. No, so that was. Industry-wise, people, the right people were watching it. Eventually, yeah. By the time I was on parks, it had caught on.

Yeah. I think it was on Netflix, and that's why. But Starr's wasn't really pushing it out there. I remember I went to Starr's headquarters in Denver. Lizzie Kaplan and I went there to, like, press the flesh or say hi to the people who work. Their headquarters are in Denver. And so we went out there. And I remember we were like in their cafeteria and they had these little cardboard stand-up things on all the tables in the cafeteria that had our picture.

and it said like party down Friday's at 10 and you know those stand-up things at bars and and Lizzie and I were like oh this is great this is this going to be in like college bars and stuff and they're like oh no no no this is just for our cafeteria thinking big oh yes so we were like oh shit or temporary our expectations yes so we never thought anything would so but it just that was the there's a very long answer to your question which was party down was a really good lesson in it's the content that matters and people will find it party down was difficult to find but people eventually found it and it ended up really being

I think incredibly valuable for me career it was also a good lesson like find stuff that you enjoy and do it with people you enjoy and if it feels good then then maybe it's good and people will find that. Like, you should lead with your heart a little bit as far as material goes. Leading with your heart probably led you to Hellraiser Bloodline as well. Yes, absolutely. Well, let's talk about your genre career because I'm, A, I'm a huge Star Trek fan. So the fact that you're a Star Trek film, Star Trek first contact, which is a quality Star Trek film.

Is it? What? I'm not a big Star Trek person, so I don't really know. This is our first point of cultural difference. I don't know why. I never got into it. I love the J.J. Abrams ones, but I feel like those are very Star Warsy.

Yeah, there is that. So you were, you were on the Defiant, right? You weren't on the main ship, or did you get to the main ship? Defiant. I only know that because my character's name was Defiant Con Officer. And I, up until... That's not a description of his temperament. Up until this moment, I thought it was.

I thought it was because I was defiant. I swear. Well, here's what you'll... Okay, here's the way to figure this out. Was Patrick Stewart on your bridge, or was it Wharf? Warf. Yeah. You were on the defiant.

Yeah. Seriously? I think I died in it. Have you seen the film? Yeah, but it's unclear if I perish or not. So this was an important experience clearly for you. Well, I think I had auditioned for some bigger role, and so this was kind of thrown to me. Right.

And it was... You probably were like for the Neo-McDonner role or something. I think you're right. Hawk. I think you're right. Yeah. And I... It's the next tier up, I would say.

It was Hawk? Yeah. Okay. I think I was in and out of there in like three hours to shoot my role. Yeah. I remember coming home and it was like 1 p.m. Right. And for Hellraiser, which predated that, this is a very early, maybe first film.

First film, yeah. This was the fourth in the series. Yeah. Did you go back and watch the first three? Did you feel like... I did. Did that help you... It helped tremendously.

I remember it was my first. first movie, and I was super excited to get the job. But even with all that excitement coursing through my veins, I watched the first three and was like, these are terrible. I know my place in the universe. I'm in the third

sequel to a terrible franchise. Yes. But I still thought it would be a big deal. I didn't, I didn't watch it in preparation for the Center. Hellraiser 4. Yeah. Well, bloodline. No, it's super shitty. I mean, it's one of the few films that's directed by Alan Smithy.

Alan Smithy. I was going to ask about that. Did you have a sense that the director was not enjoying himself or that he was going to be removed or something? Kevin Yeager was the original director. He's a special effects makeup artist. And he was really cool. And I think they fired him or something and got someone else to do. Because we did like two different things of reshoots.

this was like 20 years ago um how was your makeup in the film did you at least nail that yeah i got killed i don't remember how i get killed in the movie but i know that at one point i disintegrated from old age rapid aging like like india jones and the last crusade stuff yeah i guess so um but yeah uh it's terrible terrible movie and i'm not in it very much i mean it's really not that At the time, it was a big deal, but it's really nothing. Who was your first successful friend, peer? Was it like, was Rudd? Rudd, yeah, red.

Yeah, for sure. And was he someone that was like, okay, I see what he's doing. That's a path. I could see myself in something similar to what he's crafting. Yeah, you know, yeah, for sure. Because me and Rudd were friends because we went to the same school. he was there a bit before me but we kind of knew similar people so we became fast friends after i had graduated from the school and clueless came out quickly like 95 i guess

something like that yeah yeah um and yeah i always was like man because from 93 on i was just hitting the pavement trying to get jobs and i worked pretty steadily all the the way up until you know just doing guest spots and indies and it wasn't like i wasn't working i was just never i never found the thing that i would and looking back now i i was like it's it's easy to see that i just never found the thing i excelled at like i was never i never found the thing that made me feel comfortable. Like, I was always pushing it. I wanted it too much.

Like, I was leaning into the ball a little too much. I know nothing about sports, but that's the metaphor I'm going with. So what was the, was it all the way until party down that, like, you feel like, I'm in my element? I'm not forced to do. I guess, you know, I did this HBO show,

tell me you love me, which was ultimately a really, really serious, like, depressing show, very good show. Now you watch it and you can see that it may have been influential, I think, just filmmaking-wise on television, just kind of stark reality. And it was like her, Cynthia Moore, the creator of the show, her whole idea was to strip away all artifice, all pushing for emotion, all filmmaking artifice, all acting artifice, and just stark reality. And I think that was really good for me to sort of, because I remember while we were making the show, I was looking around at entertainment, at filmed entertainment, thinking, that's bullshit, that's bullshit, that's bullshit, that's bullshit. Like, we're just making something that is no more exciting nor boring than real life. That's what she was going for. And I really admired that. And I feel like that sort of gave me this new perspective on acting and not really pushing for it.

not really, and just trying to just kind of relax. And so I think it affected me in a positive way. I don't know. I don't know what it was. I don't know if it's the job party down kind of me falling into that or me getting a little older and kind of being a little more comfortable in my own skin. But yeah, watching Rudd get that go from Clueless on was really. really inspiring and but we were you know we're good friends so it was tough too you know

Paul quickly became like a big star and I was still like scrounging for guest spots so but we were such good friends that um you know it kind of it kind of All that stuff sort of would fall to the wayside. But, you know, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't tough sometimes. Sure. And now he's a superhero. Now he's an ant man. How crazy is that.

Yeah, it's great. Have you seen the trailer for it? Of course. It's awesome. Yeah. Yeah. It looks really good. I think that Rudd's being hilarious is going to be really, really kind of terrific thing to

have in one of those movies. And, yeah, he's one of those guys. I mean, like yourself, and like the people I enjoy hanging around with and talking to the most. He's just like, when people ask, like, oh, you know, what's Paul Rudd? Like, he's like, he's exactly what you would think he's like. Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Yeah, he's terrific. You've also worked with another Marvel superhero, I think. Did you share some time with Benedict on Black Mass? I was going to, I was worried for a second that, like, I was going to say, oh, you're going to sit down the comedy route. What about drama? And then I was like, oh, wait, you're in this. heavy drama thing coming out soon.

Is he in a Marvel movie? Yeah, he's Dr. Strange. Oh, right, right, right. Oh, your interview with Ethan Hawke. You know, Ethan Hawke's interviews that he was doing around that period for boyhood, they were really something to listen to, I feel.

I found those to be pretty inspiring, particularly this one. He was, he's a great subject because I feel he really actually thinks about the questions and and he's gone grew the roller coaster a couple times oh absolutely um and so self-aware about it um that's the movie

i think boy that's my that's your personal yeah that and the guest i think are my favorites from last year just caught up with like a month ago did you see it isn't it great so great so great oh my god i like that the previous one too what was it the um oh i'm fucking blanking on it oh you're next yes you're next yeah it's so solid too yeah they're i felt the guest was like really just fully realized, like, that is, they were doing something really special. It has that kind of like John Carpenter kind of vibe to it. Like a, remember Commando that Schwarzenegger? It kind of felt like Commando a little bit.

This is a good thing. Yeah. You need more Commando in the universe. Have you met Arnold Schwarzenegger? Wow, this is how big you are. You don't even remember. Maybe. No, I can't.

I know that I've been in. See, Rob Lowe had a book party, and I was there, and I remember standing next to Arnold Schwarzenegger, and he was making some, like, dirty joke. That's about right. I can't believe I'm here for that. This is great. Have you heard Hater talk about his time as a personal assistant? Oh, yeah. On eraser?

I think it was collateral. You're right. Not collateral. No, collateral damage. Collateral damage, right. Yeah, yeah. So, Black Mass. I'm just curious about this because, did you have a good time?

Was that? Yeah, it was great. I met Benedict Cumberbatch, but we didn't... I mean, I'm in a scene with him, but we don't really interact in the movie. I'm just kind of there, but... But also, he was super nice, really, really cool guy. But, um... I mean, do you, are you conscious of that kind of thing where it's like, okay, now my comedy chops are, like, I've got a rep.

Like, I've got, like, people are hiring me and look to me for that grave. I want to remind them I can also do it or something. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, sure. I mean, Stepbrothers was my first, that's my first kind of foray into comedy, which is, I say it was like learning to throw the javelin at the Olympics. Right. You know, it was nerve-wracking. But it was my first real kind of foray into it.

Before that, it was mostly like dramatic stuff. So, yeah, I'm doing Black Mass was certainly. really fun for those reasons for doing something just totally different. I'm going to steal a question that I often hear.

I'm a consumer of podcast as much as I am a creator and one that Chris Hardwick often asks, but I feel like this is valid. Sure. Would you want to host something? I feel like you could be a good interviewer.

Oh, like a... I don't know. Damley Show has an opening. That's all I'm saying. I mean, I have my podcast was Scott Ackerman. Right. But we don't really interview people.

We just talk and act like morons. So you're just not interested in other people? No, no, no, no. I'm a sociopath. Absolutely. You know, I do love, I think the only thing I would be good at is interviewing like filmmakers or actors. Because that's what I'm most interested in. But I don't think I would be particularly good at it.

like, no better than anyone that's already doing it. So why do it? What's the, does greatest event in television history have a path or is it continuing in the way that you guys have been doing it? Like, is there, is there an extension of that you, that you guys are thinking of in terms of longer form or anything? I don't think so. I don't think we'll do any more of them.

Really? Just because they're super hard to make. I would think. And we had very, very low budgets. they were really fun but by the time we finished bosom buddies was the final one and when we finished

shooting that one I was like I kind of felt like this is a bummer that we've ended on one that is clearly not going to cut together into anything this is not going to work

we've sort of taken something that was funny at first and totally run it into the ground um this is this sucks and then we cut it together and it was everyone's favorite one so it ended up working at least enough to fill um nine minutes it ended up being i think 11 minutes in total including the opening credit sequence so we had to shoot we had to cut together nine minutes of story before the credit sequence right and we only had four days to shoot the entire thing including usually we had like heart to heart we had like three weeks just to shoot well we had only solid weeks of shooting we had Amy for five days but beyond that

we had three weeks to go out in the helicopter and shoot the speed boat you know we had time yeah but then we had this line producer who um ended up completely like spending our budget on really dumb stuff and not telling us about it so what ended up happening was we had to shoot our final episode and we were out of money because and we had to get get rid of the line producer and then we had we owed them an episode and had plant had um had had uh had started pre-production so we had to shoot this thing but we were so low on money we had to shorten everything to four days and we're in a panic and this is all not interesting but i want to know who fired the line producer was it you your wife was it was me how'd that go it was felt great what did you say i want

to be the wine producer it was an email and i said uh wow you go that way i said uh we are what did i say i had several drafts of the email um was this the the tamest of them were there expletives and so no no it was incredibly tame and professional what i ended up sending because my what my wife was like you can't send that what do you do no so what i ended up sending was like we are unfortunately we are um no longer working with you effective immediate this is some sort of official sounding thing i have no idea what i was doing writing this email but it was a bummer so we had to shoot it and we did and we were in a rush and it was frenzied

and then it ended up cutting together fine but we were just sort of like let's move on and find other stuff to do. It's like being at the casino and sort of like, okay. Walking away from the table. Totally because I felt like if we did another one Paul Shear and I wrote them and how many more ideas could we have

about behind the scenes of this thing we were kind of pushing it a little bit already coming up with four stories having to do so um i think uh i think it was time to hang it up it's a shame isn't it like i don't know looking back at the stuff you and i grew up on movies and tv um i'm sure you're starting to expose your kids as they come to a age where they can't appreciate things and movies and there's i'm sure there's stuff you're like super excited like i can't wait to show them this yeah but the tv just doesn't generally speaking hold up in that way for a variety of reasons that's true like we can't I don't know even can't think of like

you mean like cheers maybe like cheers yeah cheers holds up cheers is my favorite cycle yeah that really holds up but like speaking of greatest event we would go back and look at episodes of simon and simon like watch a 42 minute episode and it's crazy i mean the shoe leather they show them driving in the car them pulling up to the house them getting out of the car them walking closing the car locking it walking up the entire walkway to the front door

knocking on the door waiting then someone opens the door in the scene like right it's a procedural in the choice of the yeah um yeah but film so what's what's on what's on your list or what have you been able to show or what are you dying to show

the kids I'm dying to show my eight year old son Raiders of the Lost Dark that's my favorite movie and I feel like I don't think he's ready for it because kids movies now are very different from kids movies when we were growing up yeah yeah yeah there's some dark stuff in redness yeah like I showed them goonies recently and we had to turn it off because they

both freaked out that sloth what is sloth the big guy yeah yeah that freaked the shit out of me oh my god but also all the kids are saying shit constantly there's some pretty racist stuff happening Well, data, the whole character is pretty much

Yeah, and then also Corey Feldman's relationship with the maid And tricking her by knowing Spanish It's questionable There's got to be something racist there But it's a terrific movie And I love how Richard Donner just let all the kids Everyone's talking at once It's kind of what got annoying

in the lethal weapon movies was everyone by lethal weapon four you're like all right shut the fuck up everybody but in Goonies it's it really works like those kids are really free it feels kind of it's great yeah yeah so I can't wait till they're ready to watch but

now I feel like kids movies are so gentle that it's a bummer like ET freak them out yeah they enjoyed it but it's crazy I mean the the world that's set up And E.T. is so, it's very 70s in its tone.

It's very kind of very naturalistic. It feels real. And then this little green guy waddles in. And you're like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Because now everything is so heightened that the green guy is just part of a fantasy world. But E.T. is very kind of, it's like divorce. And it feels real. And then this guy comes in.

Raiders. Yeah, Raiders is a perfect film. It is. Temple of Doom is a great film too Temple of Doom is my personal favorite but Raiders is just the

I feel the best movie ever I do love I will already like top five opening sequences of all time is Temple of Doom Oh my God right yeah I just watch it sometimes

it's all the way up till they drift into view of the of the what's his name Dan Aykroyd closing the door no no drift into view of the the sham oh sure sure yeah like the once they enter

india yeah yeah yeah yeah no when Dan Aykroyd when he closes the door on nice try Lauchet Lauchet Airlines were not even halfway through that sequence right basically got the raft coming out of the oh my yeah do you remember seeing that in the theater

oh my God I remember having like the collectible there was like a booklet or something I had like the like official sure it was all that stuff that like went along with like the official movie magazine yes had all of that stuff. I had the back to the future one. I had the Temple of Doom one. I had all the Temple of Doom gear. So good. That movie is

so, so fun. I've talked about this before in the podcast, but I feel like Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is my most disappointing film-going experience ever. It was just so deflating. I, it really bummed me out. And I still... I fell asleep in it, watching it for the first time, literally. How is that possible in Indiana show? And you were probably so psyched to see it. Had you heard it? It was not great before. It was like a press screening, so I feel like nobody had seen it yet. I still had high hope. So it was probably the worst. At what point did you

know it wasn't great? It was when they, because I will argue speaking of opening sequences, I actually think the, it gets a lot of shit the nuke the fridge thing or whatever or him in the fridge. I like nuke the fridge by the way. Me too. I thought it was funny. I think it's actually the opening sequence is like

okay. It's fine. The first 20 minutes are fine for Neander Jones movie. They're not great. They're okay. It's it's kind of in, it's past the chase through the library. It's when they I don't know why they did this, but like, why did they shoot like the, wherever they go

I don't even remember, but they're in, you know, like, um, some exotical cow that feels like it's been shot on a back lot. If somehow they, they go on location. It seems crazy. I, that's one of the things I love about Temple of Doom is that they're in Sri Lanka. Yeah. And everybody looks like they're

tired. They look like they've been sleeping on the ground, which They probably weren't, but they were probably sleeping in, they were probably in accommodations that were not the great, you know, whatever. In Crystal Skull, it looks like everyone sleeping in the Pacific Palisades like everyone looks great. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I, you know, just to, I felt like in Crystal Skull, the moment that I was a little disappointed was in that opening sequence when the chase starts. inside the warehouse? Yes.

Remember? Yes. I remember when the chase started, everybody's chasing him. I remember thinking, wait, I don't know why they're chasing him. It's not, it hasn't been made clear to me. Yeah. I don't think I'm stupid, but I feel like in every other one, I know exactly what's happening. But then the nuke the fridge thing, I thought was like, wow, that's pretty funny.

And I don't know why everyone got so hung up. on how realistic that was like care it's not he ate monkey brains whatever actually although that's probably something based on some reality how crazy would it be it sounds like this is like way early days but if if if pratt ends up yeah indiana jones that would be insane be great i wonder what they would do to reboot indiana jones would they actually have someone else play that same character sounds like it i feel like i think that's the way to do it is to treat it set the precedent as bond like yeah it's scary it's like a how do you you even do that yeah but i think if they're going to do that pratt's a great choice i mean he's

like um could you buy yourself in that kind of thing could you buy yourself as a superhero as like yeah running around with a gun have you yeah have you gone up for that kind of stuff no but i i i those are you know i love those movies i loved do you see john wick i love john wick that was terrific wasn't it so fun yeah absolutely um sure Why not? We need to let you out into the wild. We're going to go play Cones of Dunshykeye. Oh, okay.

But has it been long? How long was that? We were at about an hour. Oh, really? Okay, that went really fast. I'm good on, if you have anything else you want to ask. I'm not, I don't, I'm not. That's so, so it was pressure.

We covered Hellraiser. That's what I want to spend 15 minutes on. That's the important part. But I really do love this show. I really do think that, I think, part of it is that the questions you ask are are close to what i you know the stuff i want to i want to know about thanks man i appreciate it coming from a fellow podcaster i don't think i qualify truly you're working with royalty scott ockerman yeah on this dumb you know i was on letterman last

i watched yeah oh okay he brought up the podcast which i was surprised by and i feel like just talking to David Letterman about my dumb podcast, I started feeling like I need, I started really coming down hard on the podcast, it's just a pile of garbage. Scott sent you a note afterwards, like, thanks a lot. No, he hasn't, but I need to email him and say, I didn't know what to say. I didn't. No, that's surreal. He is, I mean, Letterman is my favorite person in the universe.

So talking to him about the podcast was. just weird. So I felt like I had to insult it endlessly. I get it. I get it. And I, and I, I've talked about this before, too. I can't believe, yeah, the fact that Letterman's going off the yard. I mean, John, it kills me too, but I saw the writing on the wall. Yeah. And Letterman, we knew the day would come, but yeah, I grew up. He was my, he was my guy. Oh, yeah. Unbelievable. Um, Hot Subtime Machine 2. Yes. Is the film. So this comes out after it's been released. This is the second wave. Guys, it's out. Got to go check it out. But keep checking it out. Yes. It's 50 shades of gray money.

be brought down yes um and uh it's always good to catch up with yeah you too josh thanks for having me that's the show guys i'm josh harrowitz this has been happy say i confused hope you've enjoyed the show hit me up on twitter joshua harrowitz go over to wolfpop dot com check out all the amazing shows over there and most importantly check back in next week for another edition of happy Sud Confused Wolf Pop Wolf

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